smile. Ryan didn’t deserve to have her worries
dumped on him. He had enough to think about with his new job. She wasn’t his
responsibility.
“Okay. I promise not to overreact to the news. But I am glad
you’re investigating.”
“I doubt Lieutenant North will let me do anything more
responsible than carry his notebook, but at least I’ll get my feet wet.” His
eyes were serious. “North is the best. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to
train under.”
“Then I know my case is getting excellent attention.”
Did his family see how much Ryan wanted to succeed at this? They
should be proud that he was attempting something so difficult.
“There is
one other thing—”
He looked so reluctant to speak that for a moment her fear rose
again. Then she realized what he hesitated to tell her.
“I suppose it’s a conflict of interest for you to be friends
with me under the circumstances. I can understand that.”
That meant he wouldn’t be dropping in on her anymore. Well, that
was probably for the best. She’d already decided on that, hadn’t she?
He smiled. “Actually, that’s not an issue. When I told North
that we’re old friends, that we’d been in school together, he just rolled his
eyes. Said he was beginning to think everyone in Suffolk knew everyone else. I
guess it’s a big change for him from Chicago.”
“That’s not quite true.”
He blinked. “What isn’t?”
She said the thing she’d been thinking since the day Ryan had
walked back into her life. “That we were friends in school. You barely knew who
I was in those days.”
“Just because we weren’t in the same class—”
“That didn’t have anything to do with it. You dated girls in my
class. We weren’t friends because you were the football hero and I was the shy
little nerd who hid behind my stack of library books.”
He looked down at their clasped hands. “You’re telling me I was
a jerk, in other words.”
Heat flooded her face. “No, of course not. I’m just saying we
didn’t run in the same circles. I was so far from the in crowd I probably
didn’t have a circle.”
“Why?”
Now it was her turn to blink. “Why
what?”
“Why did you hide?”
Nerd. Loner. He could have used those words, but he wouldn’t
because he was too kind. Maybe he didn’t remember what it had been like in high
school for the kids who didn’t belong to that charmed circle of the accepted.
Maybe he hadn’t even known.
“I was shy,” she said carefully. “I didn’t have any confidence
in myself.” She wasn’t going to talk to Ryan, of all people, about how it had
felt growing up with her mother’s disappointments hanging over her.
He cradled her hand between both of his. “You know, it’s a funny
thing. Every day I run into people I went to high school with. Most of them are
still the same people they were then—still replaying old games. But you—you’ve
turned into someone completely different.”
The touch of his hands seemed to be turning her insides to jelly
and her brain to mush. She struggled to treat the words lightly, because if she
showed how his opinion mattered to her, she’d be betraying too much.
“You mean I don’t qualify as a nerd any longer?”
His gaze was serious and intent. “I mean you’ve grown into a
woman who’s a dozen times better than that in crowd. Strong. Independent.
Capable. Ready to tackle anything for your child. I’d say that’s a pretty good
comeback.”
The lump in her throat wouldn’t let her say much. “Thank you.”
It came out as a whisper, and she cleared her throat, embarrassed.
“Just remember that when you have to battle the likes of Bradley
Potter.”
“The consummate member of the in crowd? I will.”
Ryan released her hand and pushed to his feet. He stood for a
moment, hand on the newel post, looking down at her.
“There was something else I wanted to say. Before I got
sidetracked by our high-school social status.”
A chill crept down her spine.
dumped on him. He had enough to think about with his new job. She wasn’t his
responsibility.
“Okay. I promise not to overreact to the news. But I am glad
you’re investigating.”
“I doubt Lieutenant North will let me do anything more
responsible than carry his notebook, but at least I’ll get my feet wet.” His
eyes were serious. “North is the best. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to
train under.”
“Then I know my case is getting excellent attention.”
Did his family see how much Ryan wanted to succeed at this? They
should be proud that he was attempting something so difficult.
“There is
one other thing—”
He looked so reluctant to speak that for a moment her fear rose
again. Then she realized what he hesitated to tell her.
“I suppose it’s a conflict of interest for you to be friends
with me under the circumstances. I can understand that.”
That meant he wouldn’t be dropping in on her anymore. Well, that
was probably for the best. She’d already decided on that, hadn’t she?
He smiled. “Actually, that’s not an issue. When I told North
that we’re old friends, that we’d been in school together, he just rolled his
eyes. Said he was beginning to think everyone in Suffolk knew everyone else. I
guess it’s a big change for him from Chicago.”
“That’s not quite true.”
He blinked. “What isn’t?”
She said the thing she’d been thinking since the day Ryan had
walked back into her life. “That we were friends in school. You barely knew who
I was in those days.”
“Just because we weren’t in the same class—”
“That didn’t have anything to do with it. You dated girls in my
class. We weren’t friends because you were the football hero and I was the shy
little nerd who hid behind my stack of library books.”
He looked down at their clasped hands. “You’re telling me I was
a jerk, in other words.”
Heat flooded her face. “No, of course not. I’m just saying we
didn’t run in the same circles. I was so far from the in crowd I probably
didn’t have a circle.”
“Why?”
Now it was her turn to blink. “Why
what?”
“Why did you hide?”
Nerd. Loner. He could have used those words, but he wouldn’t
because he was too kind. Maybe he didn’t remember what it had been like in high
school for the kids who didn’t belong to that charmed circle of the accepted.
Maybe he hadn’t even known.
“I was shy,” she said carefully. “I didn’t have any confidence
in myself.” She wasn’t going to talk to Ryan, of all people, about how it had
felt growing up with her mother’s disappointments hanging over her.
He cradled her hand between both of his. “You know, it’s a funny
thing. Every day I run into people I went to high school with. Most of them are
still the same people they were then—still replaying old games. But you—you’ve
turned into someone completely different.”
The touch of his hands seemed to be turning her insides to jelly
and her brain to mush. She struggled to treat the words lightly, because if she
showed how his opinion mattered to her, she’d be betraying too much.
“You mean I don’t qualify as a nerd any longer?”
His gaze was serious and intent. “I mean you’ve grown into a
woman who’s a dozen times better than that in crowd. Strong. Independent.
Capable. Ready to tackle anything for your child. I’d say that’s a pretty good
comeback.”
The lump in her throat wouldn’t let her say much. “Thank you.”
It came out as a whisper, and she cleared her throat, embarrassed.
“Just remember that when you have to battle the likes of Bradley
Potter.”
“The consummate member of the in crowd? I will.”
Ryan released her hand and pushed to his feet. He stood for a
moment, hand on the newel post, looking down at her.
“There was something else I wanted to say. Before I got
sidetracked by our high-school social status.”
A chill crept down her spine.
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